B2 · 50 words
Planning a city and its traffic in Portuguese
Land use, networks, walking, noise — the words people argue in when a city is rebuilt.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
The fifth entry is a expansão urbana difusa, and it takes four Portuguese words to say what English says in one: « sprawl ». The noun is worth a moment, because it is not a planner’s coinage at all. « To sprawl » is what a body does. A child sprawls across the sofa, a man sprawls in his chair, somebody who trips goes sprawling on the pavement. The picture is of limbs thrown out in no particular order, taking up more room than they need and holding none of it on purpose, and that is exactly the charge the word carries when it is turned on a city: not that the place is large, but that it has spread without shape. The verdict is built in, which is why a report that wants to sound even-handed reaches instead for « dispersed development » or « low-density growth ». Two notes for writing it. It is uncountable, so « urban sprawl » and never « an urban sprawl ». And the adjective has kept the body in it: a sprawling suburb, a sprawling estate, and just as readily a sprawling novel that will not keep to its shape.
The words
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Verb (3)
pedonalizarto pedestrianiseVerbB2
Ao sábado pedonalizam a rua principal.On Saturdays they pedestrianise the main street.
servirto serve (a place, with transport)VerbB2
A linha serve oito concelhos.The line serves eight districts.
saturarto reach saturationVerbB2
O parque satura logo às nove.The car park reaches saturation as early as nine.
Phrase (7)
desimpedir o trânsitoto ease the trafficPhraseB2
O novo plano desimpede o trânsito no cruzamento.The new scheme eases the traffic at the junction.
a pé ou de bicicletaon foot or by bicyclePhraseB2
Um terço das deslocações faz-se a pé ou de bicicleta.A third of all journeys are made on foot or by bicycle.
no centro da cidadein the city centrePhraseB2
No centro da cidade o limite é de trinta.In the city centre the limit is thirty.
nas horas de menor procuraat off-peak timesPhraseB2
Nas horas de menor procura o preço desce.At off-peak times the price comes down.
nos eixos principaison the main routesPhraseB2
Nos eixos principais nada mudou.On the main routes nothing has changed.
a prazoin the long runPhraseB2
A prazo a linha chegará ao hospital.In the long run the line will reach the hospital.
a título experimentalon a trial basisPhraseB2
O corte foi decidido a título experimental.The closure was decided on a trial basis.
Noun (m) (15)
Grammar for these: Definite article: o, a, os, as · Contractions: do, na, ao, pelo
o urbanismotown planningNoun (m)B2
O urbanismo dos anos sessenta apostou tudo no automóvel.Town planning in the sixties staked everything on the car.
o plano diretor municipalthe local development planNoun (m)B2
O plano diretor municipal será revisto no próximo ano.The local development plan will be reviewed next year.
o uso do sololand useNoun (m)B2
O uso do solo separa a habitação da indústria.Land use keeps housing apart from industry.
o terreno expectantethe vacant plotNoun (m)B2
O terreno expectante espera um projeto há vinte anos.The vacant plot has been waiting twenty years for a scheme.
o consumo de solothe take-up of landNoun (m)B2
O consumo de solo cresce mais do que a população.The take-up of land is growing faster than the population.
o passeio alargadothe widened pavementNoun (m)B2
O passeio alargado permite finalmente cruzar duas pessoas.The widened pavement finally lets two people pass each other.
o estacionamento à superfíciesurface parkingNoun (m)B2
O estacionamento à superfície passará a ser pago.Surface parking will start being charged for.
o interface de transportesthe transport interchangeNoun (m)B2
O interface de transportes junta comboio, elétrico e autocarro.The transport interchange brings train, tram and bus together.
o canal própriothe segregated trackNoun (m)B2
O canal próprio mantém o elétrico fora da fila.The segregated track keeps the tram out of the queue.
o fluxo de tráfegothe traffic flowNoun (m)B2
O fluxo de tráfego da manhã vai todo para o centro.The morning traffic flow runs entirely towards the centre.
o período de pontathe peak periodNoun (m)B2
No período de ponta a ponte satura.At the peak period the bridge reaches saturation.
o congestionamentothe congestionNoun (m)B2
O congestionamento desloca-se, não desaparece.Congestion moves elsewhere, it does not disappear.
o ruído de tráfegothe traffic noiseNoun (m)B2
O ruído de tráfego ultrapassa o limite à noite.Traffic noise goes over the limit at night.
o moradorthe residentNoun (m)B2
Os moradores entregaram uma petição.The residents handed in a petition.
o mobiliário urbanothe street furnitureNoun (m)B2
Ao mobiliário urbano faltam bancos.The street furniture is short of benches.
Noun (f) (25)
Grammar for these: Definite article: o, a, os, as · Contractions: do, na, ao, pelo
a densidade construtivathe built densityNoun (f)B2
A densidade construtiva cresce sem que a rua alargue.The built density rises without the street getting any wider.
a expansão urbana difusaurban sprawlNoun (f)B2
A expansão urbana difusa alonga todas as deslocações.Urban sprawl makes every journey longer.
a requalificação urbanathe urban renewalNoun (f)B2
A requalificação urbana da marginal durou três anos.The urban renewal of the waterfront road took three years.
a rede viáriathe road networkNoun (f)B2
A rede viária é competência da câmara.The road network is the council’s responsibility.
a faixa de rodagemthe carriagewayNoun (f)B2
A faixa de rodagem será estreitada em dois metros.The carriageway will be narrowed by two metres.
a cicloviathe cycle pathNoun (f)B2
A ciclovia acaba no cruzamento.The cycle path stops at the junction.
a zona pedonalthe pedestrian zoneNoun (f)B2
A zona pedonal duplicou de área.The pedestrian zone has doubled in area.
a acalmia de tráfegotraffic calmingNoun (f)B2
A acalmia de tráfego passa pela velocidade, não pelos sinais.Traffic calming works through speed, not through signs.
a lomba redutorathe speed humpNoun (f)B2
Foi colocada uma lomba redutora em frente à escola.A speed hump has been laid in front of the school.
a rotundathe roundaboutNoun (f)B2
A rotunda substitui dois semáforos.The roundabout replaces two sets of traffic lights.
a rede de transportesthe transport networkNoun (f)B2
A rede de transportes foi redesenhada por completo.The transport network has been redrawn from top to bottom.
a oferta ao fim do diathe evening serviceNoun (f)B2
A oferta ao fim do dia continua insuficiente.The evening service is still not enough.
a frequência das carreirasthe frequency of servicesNoun (f)B2
A frequência das carreiras desce para um autocarro por hora.The frequency of services drops to one bus an hour.
a via reservadathe bus laneNoun (f)B2
A via reservada poupa dez minutos.The bus lane saves ten minutes.
a qualidade do arthe air qualityNoun (f)B2
A qualidade do ar melhora ao domingo.Air quality improves on Sundays.
a ilha de calorthe heat islandNoun (f)B2
A ilha de calor forma-se onde não há árvores.The heat island forms where there are no trees.
a arborizaçãothe tree plantingNoun (f)B2
A arborização da praça custou menos do que o previsto.The tree planting on the square cost less than expected.
a impermeabilização do solothe sealing of the groundNoun (f)B2
A impermeabilização do solo agrava cada trovoada.The sealing of the ground makes every thunderstorm worse.
a participação dos cidadãospublic participationNoun (f)B2
A participação dos cidadãos juntou duzentas pessoas.Public participation brought two hundred people together.
a discussão públicathe public consultationNoun (f)B2
A discussão pública dura um mês.The public consultation lasts a month.
a acessibilidadestep-free accessNoun (f)B2
A acessibilidade das paragens ainda é parcial.Step-free access at the stops is still only partial.
a mistura de usosthe mix of usesNoun (f)B2
A mistura de usos evita bairros vazios à noite.A mix of uses stops neighbourhoods emptying at night.
a habitação a custos controladosthe affordable housingNoun (f)B2
A habitação a custos controlados é um quarto das licenças.Affordable housing accounts for a quarter of the permissions.
a gentrificaçãothe gentrificationNoun (f)B2
A gentrificação seguiu-se às obras da estação.Gentrification followed the works at the station.
a zona de emissões reduzidasthe low emission zoneNoun (f)B2
A zona de emissões reduzidas vigora das sete às vinte.The low emission zone is in force from seven until eight in the evening.
Missing a word? Look it up in the dictionary
This list belongs to Buildings, cities and energy — three lists and 150 words that can also be practised as a whole.